Michigan State University Athletics
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell Photography
Michigan State to Play Arkansas in 2026 CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic in Detroit
7/8/2026 12:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Spartans and Razorbacks will Play at Little Caesars Arena on Thanksgiving Afternoon
East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State's men's basketball team will face the University of Arkansas for the second-straight year in a non-conference game, this time in the CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 26) at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
The game will be broadcast nationally on the CBS Television Network and will be streamed live on Paramount+ at 4:30 p.m.
The Spartans and Razorbacks game will follow the Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Chicago Bears (1 p.m. kickoff off CBS) at Ford Field, which is just down the block from Little Caesars Arena.
"I love any time we get a chance to play in Detroit and at Little Caesars Arena," Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo said. "When you have a chance to play a game that will be a memory-maker for your players and your program, you take advantage of that opportunity. This is the second straight year we'll play a very talented Arkansas team, and it gives me another chance to match up with one of my great friends in college basketball, John Calipari. These are the types of games that will help both teams down the road. To play a team like Arkansas in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, right after the Lions, will make for a great day for sports fans in our state and for college basketball."
This will be the fourth all-time meeting between the programs and the second-straight, as then No. 22 MSU beat then-No. 14 Arkansas, 69-66, at the Breslin Center.
Prior to that game, the Spartans won the first two meetings, both on neutral floors. MSU beat Arkansas, 75-72, on Nov. 28, 1995 in the fourth game of Tom Izzo's first season as head coach of the Spartans at the Great Eight, held in Auburn Hills, Mich. The first meeting between the teams was an 86-71 MSU win in the championship game of the Maui Invitational in 1991.
Last year, the teams met in the second game of the 2025-26 regular season at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, with the Spartans posting a thrilling 69-66 win. Cam Ward led the Spartans with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Coen Carr added 15 points and seven rebounds and former MSU forward Jaxon Kohler had 10 points and seven boards. Jeremy Fears Jr. finished with four points, three rebounds and nine assists.
That game was part of a two-year, home-and-home series with the Razorbacks. The return trip for MSU to Fayetteville, Ark. will be played during the 2027-28 season.
This will be the seventh all-time meeting between teams coached by Izzo and current Arkansas Head Coach John Calipari. The head-to-head record between the coaches is tied at three wins apiece. The Spartans have won the last two meetings, the 69-66 MSU win over Arkansas last year and an 86-77 win against Kentucky in the 2022 Champions Classic.
Tickets for the event will go on sale starting October 1, with a one-day presale taking place the day prior. Fans can register for the ticket presale at DetroitHoops.com/tickets.
The game will be broadcast nationally on the CBS Television Network and will be streamed live on Paramount+ at 4:30 p.m.
The Spartans and Razorbacks game will follow the Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Chicago Bears (1 p.m. kickoff off CBS) at Ford Field, which is just down the block from Little Caesars Arena.
"I love any time we get a chance to play in Detroit and at Little Caesars Arena," Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo said. "When you have a chance to play a game that will be a memory-maker for your players and your program, you take advantage of that opportunity. This is the second straight year we'll play a very talented Arkansas team, and it gives me another chance to match up with one of my great friends in college basketball, John Calipari. These are the types of games that will help both teams down the road. To play a team like Arkansas in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, right after the Lions, will make for a great day for sports fans in our state and for college basketball."
This will be the fourth all-time meeting between the programs and the second-straight, as then No. 22 MSU beat then-No. 14 Arkansas, 69-66, at the Breslin Center.
Prior to that game, the Spartans won the first two meetings, both on neutral floors. MSU beat Arkansas, 75-72, on Nov. 28, 1995 in the fourth game of Tom Izzo's first season as head coach of the Spartans at the Great Eight, held in Auburn Hills, Mich. The first meeting between the teams was an 86-71 MSU win in the championship game of the Maui Invitational in 1991.
Last year, the teams met in the second game of the 2025-26 regular season at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, with the Spartans posting a thrilling 69-66 win. Cam Ward led the Spartans with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Coen Carr added 15 points and seven rebounds and former MSU forward Jaxon Kohler had 10 points and seven boards. Jeremy Fears Jr. finished with four points, three rebounds and nine assists.
That game was part of a two-year, home-and-home series with the Razorbacks. The return trip for MSU to Fayetteville, Ark. will be played during the 2027-28 season.
This will be the seventh all-time meeting between teams coached by Izzo and current Arkansas Head Coach John Calipari. The head-to-head record between the coaches is tied at three wins apiece. The Spartans have won the last two meetings, the 69-66 MSU win over Arkansas last year and an 86-77 win against Kentucky in the 2022 Champions Classic.
Tickets for the event will go on sale starting October 1, with a one-day presale taking place the day prior. Fans can register for the ticket presale at DetroitHoops.com/tickets.
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